For the third consecutive year, the Red Bull Driver Search program is continuing its pursuit to directly address the lack of American presence at the pinnacle of motor racing: the Formula 1 World Championship.
The mission is both to discover the diamond in the rough, lacking the knowledge and contacts needed to embark on a career in racing, and to scout promising young racers with great potential and limited funding. The long term goal of the program is to have a steady group of three to six American drivers in Europe groomed to break into Formula One and ultimately, compete for the World Championship.
2004 Program Format:Open Qualifying:
57 indoor and outdoor go-kart facilities nationwide play host to Open Qualifying sessions between 15 March and 13 June. Drivers aged between 13 and 17 years of age, both male and female are able to compete.
Run Offs:
Up to 300 qualifiers, who excel in the Open Qualifying will contest in 125cc go-karts at two outdoor go-kart facilities in August.
Scouted Racers:
While the go-kart Open Qualifying is taking place, undercover scouts will be scouring the ranks of junior U.S. racing formulas in search of talented young drivers, who will be invited to attend the Semi Final.
Semi Final:
The karters, who have been selected from the Run Offs, and the scouted drivers will go head to head for a place in the Final.
Final:
Up to 8 drivers will be selected to travel to an undisclosed circuit in Europe where the 2004 Red Bull Driver Search Final will take place.
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